Hello California
by NeeNeeKins
Summary: when the boys best friends, and old flames, Charlie and Laila, come from back home, to california, drama ensues.  Rated T for Charlie's Potty Mouth. NO SLASH
1. No Oceans between Minnesota and Cali

_Charlie skated onto the frozen pond with ease._

_Pulling her helmet over her vibrant red hair hurriedly._

_She saw her 5 friends across the way and skated over to them with too much enthusiasm, she realized she had gained to much speed and was going to crash into them._

_She clenched her eyes shut and prepared herself for the impact._

_She heard her friend Carlos shout a warning. _

_She felt her shoulder come into contact with someone's side._

_She was thrown backwards and her head hit the ice with a thud, And Charlie blacked out._

_She woke up on a plaid couch surrounded by her five concerned friends. _

_Her best friend Laila was hovering over her. _

_Concern etched across the young brunettes features._

_Charlie brushed her friends hands away, surveying her friends._

_She spotted one of them in a sling. She sighed heavily. _

"_Kenny. I'm really sorry." She mumbled, her face flushing pink._

_Kendall only laughed. "you should see the other guy…I mean girl." He teased, motioning to her._

_She finally noticed the throbbing of her skull._

"_concussion number two. Charlie you're going for a record. Your only 11… somebody call Guinness book of world records. She'll have at least 6 by the time she's 16. Who wants to put money on it." He continued. _

_Charlie growled and lunged herself at him._

_Playfully punching his good arm, careful to avoid the one in a sling. _

_But when he grinned up at her, Charlie realized two things. _

_One, she could never stay mad at him, and two, she was in love with him. _

Charlie sat awkwardly next to her best friend Laila in her seat on the plane.

Her red hair was pulled back in to a ponytail, but her long bangs kept falling in front of her face.

She groaned as she tucked them behind her ear for the millionth time.

Laila only chuckled. "Your nervous" she said sympathetically.

Charlie shook her head vehemently

. "I am NOT nervous. I am simply uncomfortable with airplanes. They don't make any sense. How do they stay up? How do I know that I wont fall into an ocean on the way to L.A? " Charlie rambled characteristically.

Laila couldn't hold back her laughter "Charlie" she interrupted politely, but Charlie continued to ramble, no longer making any sense, and Laila was unsure if she was even speaking English anymore.

"Charlie. There are no oceans between Minnesota and California… its all land." She pointed out softly.

Charlie flushed, before throwing her hands up in the air dramatically.

" I don't care! This plane is a death trap!" she exclaimed stubbornly.

Crossing her arms, slouching in her seat, Staring out the window, and tapping her foot impatiently.

Laila was relieved when Charlie finally fell asleep. The redheads face pressed against the glass of the window was comical, and the brunette was tempted to snap a picture on her cell phone.

But she thought better of it, knowing that it wasn't worth the wrath of her best friend later.

The captain came over the intercom, announcing that they were approaching LAX and that everyone should secure their carry on and return their seats to the upright position and buckle back up.

Laila struggled to wake her friend. Who had always been a heavy sleeper.

Charlie groaned and slapped away her friend's insistent hands, which were shaking her from her pleasant dream of kicking ass at a NWHL game.

"Wake up charls, we're about to land." Laila said in a frustrated whisper.

"Shit! We're here?" Charlie demanded, panicking slightly as the seatbelt tightened and restrained her from getting up from her seat.

"No. We're landing. Chill out. You're scaring the old lady across the isle." Laila said calmly.

Charlie breathed in deeply. Relaxing in her seat. Gathering her things back into her carry on.

She shoved her turquoise and black laptop back into its case, and pushed it into her army green messenger bag.

She shoved her iPhone into her pocket and zipped up her bag quickly.

She clenched her eyes shut as the plane began to descend.

Charlie glared at the captain as they passed the cockpit on their way out of the plane.

"He did that on purpose" she muttered to Laila.

"Did what? Flew the plane with no incidents?" Laila asked sarcastically.

Charlie rolled her grey blue eyes.

"No! he grazed my ass!" she insisted passionately.

"Oh lord Charlie. Relax. He was trying to help you get untangled from the seatbelt. It's not his fault you're the most graceless person on this planet." Laila said with a smirk.

"Shut up. I don't like you." Charlie said childishly, crossing her arms and pretending to pout as they made their way to the baggage claim.

"lies, lies, lies yeahhh" Laila sung quietly.

Making Charlie laugh against her will.

Charlie spotted her suitcase and snatched it off the rotating machine with ease.

She nudged Laila's off the track just to piss her off.

Laila growled under her breath, but said nothing to the childish redhead she called her best friend.

As they walked towards the exit, charlie slid her ray bans onto her freckled face and grinned.

She pointed towards the doors, and outside, the sun was shinning and there wasn't a cloud in the sky,

"Hello California." She said enthusiastically.


	2. My Schemes are NOT stupid!

Charlie stepped out into the sun eagerly.

Laila followed as quickly as she could, but as usual the brunette had over packed.

Charlie rolled her lone suitcase to the curb and waved for a cab, before turning to help her friend.

When Charlie turned around there was a strange man picking up her suitcase

"Whoa! What the hell do you think your doing asshole. That's my fucking bag!" she exclaimed, shoving the man away and snatching her bag.

The man looked shocked and tried to insist he was a cab driver and he was only trying to load her bag into his cab. But Charlie shook her head.

"We'll wait for another cab, maybe one that isn't driven by a thief." Charlie said gruffly.

"I thought you said Mama Knight was picking us up." Laila said slowly.

But then realization dawned on her.

"None of them know we're coming do they?" Laila demanded.

Grabbing her friends arm roughly.

"You SWORE that they were expecting us… that it was Okay that we were visiting." Laila said, growing louder by the second.

Charlie sighed heavily. "Pause, Lai." She pleaded.

When Laila clenched her jaw, but fell silent, Charlie stuck two fingers in her mouth and whistled loudly. Waving one arm high above her head, hailing a taxi.

When the bright yellow taxi pulled up, Charlie loaded hers, and Laila's things into the trunk, and let Laila get in before her.

She gave the cab driver the address, before turning to her best friend.

"aaaand…play." She said calmly.

"you promised Charlie, you promised that there were no tricks involved. And that everything was planned out and that you weren't going to pull another one of your stupid schemes and leave me to clean up afterwards" Laila said in a frighteningly calm, but angry tone.

Charlie rolled her eyes " my schemes are NOT stupid. And I find that very offensive."

Laila shook her head. "I cannot believe you." She said quietly.

"after all these years, you still cant believe I would pull something like this? You really are a slow learner lai." Charlie teased good-naturedly.

Laila swatted charlies arm angrily.

Charlie gasped and slapped lailas leg.

Their slap fight escaladed until they were interrupted by the cab driver

"Palm Woods… don't hesitate to tip ladies." he announced loudly.

He seemed eager to get the loud young ladies out of his taxi.

Charlie handed him the fare and a little extra for a tip.

She unloaded their bags from the trunk herself.

And stood on the curb for a moment to take in the view.

"Shibby." Charlie said breathlessly.

Laila sighed heavily and rolled her suitcase towards the front desk.

Charlie tugged her phone from her pocket and sent a quick text, before hurrying after Laila, towards the front desk.

A large man with a scowl on his face looked at them expectantly.

Charlie rested her elbows on the counter top.

She glanced at the nameplate and let out a quiet laugh.

"Bitters, is it? We're looking for Ms. Knight." Charlie said with a smile.

"oh great. Your friends of big time rush too?" he said with no enthusiasm.

Charlie shrugged. " we're friends of Kendall, Logan, Carlos and James's" she said pointedly.

"as in, Pre- Fame and Fortune." she clarified.

"good for you." He said sarcastically. "2J… have a _great_ day" he said, before shuffling back into his office.

"see that lai. No problems." Charlie insisted. Her hands on her hips.

"I think someone owes me an apology." She said teasingly.

"don't hold your breath" a familiar voice said with a laugh.

Charlie didn't even have to turn around to know who it was.

"Kenny!" she exclaimed, spinning around and throwing her arms around his neck.

Kendall chuckled and wrapped his long arms around her waist.

" Mom just got your text. She sent me down here to help you guys get your stuff up to our room" he said, reluctantly letting go of her.

Charlie smiled. "I told you so" she said to Laila, sticking out her tongue.

Kendall laughed and grabbed their suitcases, struggling to situate them in a way that he could carry all of them.

Charlie chuckled and removed her suitcase from his arms.

"I can carry mine." She insisted.

Kendall rolled his eyes but knew better than to argue.

He led the way to the apartment.

He kicked open the door and immediately stepped back.

Charlie eyed him curiously "Kendall- what are you-"

She was cut off as the 3 other boys she was proud to call her best friends all came running at the two girls, arms wide open.

The girls found themselves in a giant group hug.

"Carlitos. I cannot breath" Charlie said, squirming to get out of the tight grasp that the enthusiastic boys had them in.

"Sorry. We just missed you guys. That's all." Logan apologized for them all.

Charlie noticed Logan's hand lingered on Laila's a moment longer then it should have.

And Charlie knew she wouldn't hear much more complaining from her friend about the trip.

Ms. Knight poked her head around the corner warily "Is it safe to hug my favorite girls yet?" she asked cautiously.

Charlie nodded happily as the woman she regarded as a second mother embraced the two girls, much more gently then the boys had.

When she released them, she smiled at them " you look beautiful girls. Are you hungry? How was your flight? Are you tired? " she bombarded them with motherly questions.

Charlie shrunk behind Kendall and squinted up at him. "can you please tell ma that we're fine." She pleaded.

Kendall smirked " mom! They're fine. I'm going to get them settled in my room. I'll take the couch." Kendall insisted, Grabbing Charlie's bag and taking it into his room.

Laila rolled her eyes. " I think I'll let them catch up before I go get unpacked."

"that's a good idea." Logan said softly. "he really misses her." He added wistfully.

" she misses him too." Laila said knowingly..


	3. Begging will get you nowhere

Charlie watched kendall curiously as he set her suitcase on his bed and smiled at her.

She slipped her hands into her pockets awkwardly, unsure of what to do with them.

This was a new feeling for Charlie. She was usually much more confidant.

But kendall always had a way of making her forget.

"it's really great to see you, freckles." Kendall said quietly, with a genuine smile on his face.

Charlie grinned at the childhood nickname.

"its great to see you again too, noodle" Charlie shot back, feeling her confidence return as they spoke.

She sat down heavily on his bed, Flopping backwards, and putting her arms behind her head.

Her tank top rose up, revealing an inch of her pale stomach.

Kendall noticed this, but said nothing. He had a plan.

"yeah, just make yourself at home red, no worries." He teased. Sitting down beside her.

Charlie chuckled "don't mind if I do ken" she said, sighing heavily as she snuggled into his pillows, breathing in deeply.

She had almost forgotten his scent. But as she breathed in, it filled her nose.

He smelled like fresh snow, irish blast body wash and something she couldn't quite put her finger on, but it was distinctly kendall francis knights smell.

Charlie and Kendall were the only ones left skating on the frozen pond in their neighborhood.

_She spun in a circle, before skating at him at full speed, and stopping just short of him, shaving ice right onto him._

_She grinned and skated away quickly._

_Kendall followed right behind her, soon gaining on her, and wrapping his arms around her waist, resting his chin on the top of her head._

"_gotcha" he whispered with a grin on his face._

_Charlie pretended to struggle against his embrace, but he was much stronger then she was._

"_you're a bully Kendall knight" Charlie spat playfully._

" _Oh am I? Am I really?" he asked teasingly. _

"… _No." Charlie answered begrudgingly._

"_thank you. Are you cold? Do you want to go inside?" Kendall asked her, noticing she was shaking in his arms._

_Charlie shook her head. Clenching her teeth in attempt to stop herself from shivering._

"_your too stubborn for your own good." Kendall muttered, pulling her closer to him._

_Charlie rested her forehead against his broad shoulder. Even at 15, Kendall was taller then all the other boys his age. _

_She breathed in deeply. Taking in the smell she knew so well. _

"_hey. I almost forgot. Your present… do you want it?" kendall said softly. Taking out a small but expertly wrapped gift from his jacket pocket._

"_logan wrapped it didn't he?" Charlie asked knowingly._

_Kendall ducked his head, feigning shame. "yes…but I tried first…it just turned out really bad." He admitted sheepishly._

_Charlie giggled. " well can I have it?" she asked reaching for it._

_Kendall held it above his head playfully, his green eyes dancing with amusement._

"_you have to earn it, miss charlotte." He teased._

"_don't call me that." Charlie said gruffly. Reaching for her present._

_Kendall only laughed and skated away from her._

"_where's your Christmas spirit you jerk?" Charlie shouted at him, arms crossed and a pout in place across her lips._

_Kendall raised his eyebrows at her incredulously._

_Charlie sat herself down in the middle of the frozen lake stubbornly._

"_gimme my present." She demanded with a look across her face showing that she meant business. _

_Kendall rolled his eyes and skated over to her. Placing the small box inbetween his teeth so he could use both hands to help her up._

_Charlie took his hands with a heavy sigh. _

_When he pulled her up, he brought her closer to him then she had anticipated._

_She could feel his breath across her face._

_She looked up at him curiously._

_He had taken the box from his mouth and slipped it into her pocket smoothly,_

_So smoothly infact that Charlie had no idea he had done so._

_His eyes lingered on her lips for a moment before he closed the space between them and his soft, but chapped lips pressed against hers._

_His hands went to her hair. One gloved hand rested on her shoulder and the other entangled in her red hair._

_Charlies hands went to his chest. Grasping his jacket and pulling him closer._

_When they finally broke apart. They both breathed in deeply. Letting out their breath as quietly as possible. _

_Charlie snuck a glance at his face as her hands fell limply to her side._

_Kendall let one hand fall to his side, only to grasp her gloved hand in his._

"_merry Christmas Charlie." He said softly. Kissing her forehead._

"…_yeah."Charlie said breathlessly._

_She noticed their entertwined fingers and she bit her lip._

"_we should probably go inside. Our moms will be wondering why were not helping decorate the tree." Charlie pointed out. _

_She started to pull her hand away from his, but he held fast._

"_your present." He pointed out softly._

_Charlie raised her eyebrows at him._

"_where did it go?" she asked curiously_

"_check your left pocket." He suggested._

_Charlie rolled her eyes but checked her pocket. _

_She felt the box and she pulled it out quickly._

_She tore the wrapping paper off, not caring where it went._

_It was a jewlry looking box. And charlies breath caught in her throat._

_She popped it open._

_There were two gifts inside the box._

_One was a gold chain with a small, but beautiful charm, made of Venetian glass._

_And behind the necklace were two tickets to see the Wilds play the Penguins._

_Charlie couldn't breath for a moment._

_But when she caught her breath she flung her arms around his neck and peppered his face with kisses._

"_thank you thank you thank you!"she exclaimed happily _

_kendall smiled, and squeezed her hand_

"_we should go inside now." _

_He smiled as she slipped her hand in his as they made their way off the ice and towards the knights household._

Cold hands on her abdomen jerked her from her memory violently.

She squirmed away from the foreign touch.

She scrunched her nose and glared at the guilty party. Kendall Knight.

"where'd you go?" he asked curiously.

His green eyes locked on her grey blue ones.

He looked concerned.

"just…remembering. That's all." Charle insisted.

" whatcha remembering?" he asked teasingly. Inching towards her.

Charlie rolled her eyes "nothing." She insisted, scooting away from him.

"tell me" he pleaded.

"no." she said with a shake of her head.

"Pretty please?" Kendall begged.

Charlie shook her head again.

"Begging will get you nowhere." She informed him.

Kendall pondered this for a moment before reaching for her and pulling her to him.

Charlie looked at him strangely "what are you doing?" she asked cautiously.

But Kendall's hands danced across her bare stomach causing her to squirm

He knew she was ticklish. He was using her weakness against her.

"Tell me or I'll keep tickling you." He demanded,

As His hands continued their assault on her bare skin.

Their faces had gotten closer and kendall could feel her warm breath against his face.

His hands slowed and rested on her sides.

He locked his eyes on hers.

"it was our first kiss." She said softly.

Ducking her head to hide her flushed face.

Kendall fell silent.

It had been three years since then.

But he still remembered it vividly.

"Charlie- I..." He said quietly, Unsure of what to say or do.

She just shook her head and slid out from beneath him.

She sat at the edge of the bed. She took her hair out from the pony tail and ran her fingers through it.

There was a loud knock on the door and Charlie breathed a sigh of relief.

Laila walked through the door seconds later. Lugging her things in behind her.

Kendall sighed and got up from the bed.

"I'll let you too get settled then." He said softly.

Charlie nodded and said nothing as he left the room.

"what in Sam heck just happened in here?" Laila demanded in a harsh whisper.

"it was nothing." Charlie said in a tone of voice that Laila recognized.

And realized she shouldn't push her any further.

Charlie grabbed her suitcase and unzipped it.

Pulling out her makeup and toiletry bag she headed towards kendalls bathroom.

She shut the door behind her and pressed her back against it.

She slid to the floor, resting her head in her hands.

This was NOT how things were supposed to happen.


	4. Don't Hold you're Breath Blondie

When Charlie was finally able to pull herself back up off of the floor, she unpacked her makeup and hair things.

She swung open the door to the room, finding Laila laying across the bed, writing furiously in her notebook.

Charlie sighed. "what did I miss?" she asked

Laila shook her head.

"nothing. I'm just writing about the trip here." She lied.

Charlie rolled her eyes. "after all these years, you still think you can lie to me? I know when your lying lai. I can tell." Charlie dead panned.

She reached across her friend and snatched the notebook.

Scanning the full 2 pages her friend had scribbled out, Charlie sighed heavily.

"Damn Lai." She said softly. Tracing the last couple of words with her black painted nails.

"I had no idea it was that bad." She added. Squeezing her friends shoulders gently.

"we'll fix everything. I promise." She vowed.

With that, Charlie stood up and kicked her suitcase into the corner

"we'll unpack later. Lets hit the pool" Charlie suggested. Yanking out her black bikini ceremoniously.

Laila was hesitant so Charlie changed first. Pulling a giant tshirt on over her bikini as a cover up.

"I'm going to the pool. Head down when you feel like being social okay?" Charlie encouraged. Swatting her friends butt as she left the room.

"who feels like going for a swim with me?" Charlie announced excitedly as she re-entered the living room.

All of the boys lept up from the couch and hurried to change into their swim trunks. All of them except logan.

He was oddly quiet.

Charlie sat down next to him on the couch.

"whats up puddin cup?" she asked playfully. As she leaned her head on his shoulder.

"nothing." Logan lied.

Charlie cleared her throat. "you know what. I feel like I've heard that bullshit already today. Oh wait. Lai said the same damn thing… so what happened?" Charlie insisted.

Logan shook his head. "I don't really know how to put it into words right now charls…can I tell you what's going on once I've figured it out?" he asked softly.

Charlie nodded empathetically. "absolutely."

She heard the doors swing open and 3 boys in swim trunks and grins on their faces appeared.

"logan, you coming?" Charlie asked as she stood in the door way. Ready to leave.

"nah. Im gonna stay here. Got some homework to do." He replied.

"Dude! Its summer. No homework!" carlos exclaimed.

"I want to do some research on colleges. I'll catch up later" he insisted.

Charlie nodded , understanding. So she ushered to boys out the door and towards the stairs.

She hung back for a moment. Before following james and carlos.

She felt two warm hands on her shoulder. She knew immidiatly who it was.

"charlie… can we please talk?" kendall pleaded.

Charlie sighed heavily. "kendall…I don't know what to tell you…I just… missed you. That's all. And its hard for me to be around you, and not want to be with you the way we used to be." She confessed quietly.

Her bangs falling in front of her face, blocking her eyes from his view.

Kendall held his breath for a moment.

"I'm an ass." He admitted suddenly.

"I should have told you when we were leaving. I should have given you more of a warning. And I should have kept in touch better. But Charlie. I thought you hated me. The way things ended with us…you seemed so angry…" kendall rambled

Charlie glanced up at him incredulously.

"kendall francis… are you admitting you were wrong?" she asked, in shock.

Kendall shrugged. "I'm admitting I made a lot of mistakes when it comes to you and me…and I did a lot of things I regret." He said honestly.

"and you being here only makes me realize that I need to fix things between us…I still really care about you…and if you don't want to be with me. That's fine. We can take things slow. Or even just be friends. I just really want us to be okay again." Kendall pleaded.

Charlie sighed again. " You're an idiot." She said bluntly, Her hands on her hips.

Kendall just stared at her as the others continued walking toward the pool.

"Is there something on my face?" The redhead asked as she wiped her hands across her cheeks furiously.

"No," the boy replied with a smile.

"Then what the hell is wrong with you boy?"

Kendall didn't say a word but stepped closer to her. Their lips were so close to touching, Charlie could taste his peppermint gum on his breath. Not one second later he heard a voice echo behind him.

"KENDALL!" he spun around to see a thin, blonde girl standing there, with suite case in hand. "Jo?"

She dropped her bags and ran over to him, flinging her arms around his neck dramatically, as Charlie had just done moments before. "I missed you soooo much!" She squealed with excitement.

Charlie sat there motionless staring at the off and on again couple, that she'd secretly followed the last two years. She'd done the research, and she could have sworn they were OFF AGAIN.

But based on the blonde's reaction, she assumed her theory, wrong.  
Kendall finally pulled away from her embrace, but not before the girl gave him a, too long for Charlie's liking, kiss. Charlie quenched her fist into a ball and bit her lip as the boy she'd been in love with since childhood turned around to introduce her to his very much on again girlfriend.

The blonde smiled and held out her hand, and Charlie reluctantly shook it. "I've heard so much about you. I think we're going to be great friends." Jo chimed with a smile. Charlie waited for her to turn around before rolling her eyes, "Don't hold you breath blondie." She cringed under her breath.

Kendall and Jo said there goodbyes, with another long kiss. Charlie cringed again when the girl announced she'd join them at the pool in a little while. This WAS NOT the plan. She thought to herself as her and Kendall walked silently to the poo


End file.
